The invention is directed to the field of clamps and, more particularly, to a clamp suitable for securing a support post to a structural member of a railing such as may be associated with a deck.
The construction of a residential deck is a difficult project for a single individual. Throughout the construction, it is necessary to hold components of the deck together until being permanently secured by fasteners. When the member to be secured to a fixed member is large or heavy, one individual usually is unable to hold both members together, and simultaneously form holes in the members and insert the fasteners.
Adding to the difficulty of constructing a railing of a deck or other structure is the desirability of forming a plumb and level structure, which relates to the manner in which the structural members are secured together. For example, horizontal structural members must be level to provide a level surface for attaching the flooring, and the railing support posts must be vertically plumb to provide a level surface for attaching the railings. Railing support posts are typically cumbersome and difficult for one individual to handle. Consequently, an individual may not be able to adequately hold the structural members together for alignment.
In view of the above-described problems associated with constructing a railing for a deck by a single individual, additional persons are usually required to complete such tasks, which increases the cost of the structure. It may also be undesirable from the perspective of a professional contractor to assign extra employees to such projects, in that it takes persons away from other projects.
For the foregoing reasons, there has been a need for a device which simplifies the construction of railings and enables one individual to complete the construction. There has particularly been a need for a device which can be used by an individual to clamp and fasten together two structural components of a railing while having free use of both hands.